Germany shocked with looting in Malawi local authorities

The Federal Republic of Germany has said it is ‘deeply’ shocked with the levels of corruption happening in local councils and has asked government to ensure looters face the law.

Germany Ambassador to Malawi Jurgen Borsch

“We are very shocked with the levels of corruption happening in local councils,” said

Deputy Head of mission who is also Head of Development cooperation, at the Germany Embassy, Thomas Straiger.

He was commenting on reports that Public Sector Sector Reform Commission will be getting quarterly reports from the councils in order to curb corruption and financial abuse.

“We are asking Malawi Government to hunt for these financial abusers by jailing or firing them, the problem is that when they are caught they are just transferred from one council to another,” said Staiger.

Malawi has 35 local government councils comprising four city councils (Blantyre, Lilongwe, Mzuzu and Zomba), two municipal councils (Luchenza in Thyolo and Kasungu), one town council (Mangochi) and 28 district councils.

Staiger added that there is need for government to improve audit systems and put in place mechanism which will help to safeguard public resources.

Speaking in an interview with Nyasa Times, Malawi Local Government Association Executive Director Charles Chunga said MALGA is working hand in hand in building capacity to Area Development Committee (ADC) so that they are given much knowledge on budgeting.

“The results of baseline survey that Malga commissioned recently in six districts where we are implementing this project have revealed all ADCs have not been trained on key capacity areas such as development planning, local government systems and participatory budgeting,” said Chunga.

Chunga said training of ADC is the only way of improving transparency and accountability within the councils.

Of late German has been so aggressive in ensuring that Malawi is a corruption free society – a far fetched dream with the worsening levels of graft.

Recently the German Government called the Malawi Government to fast track , debating of the law which will will ensure independence of the Anti Corruption Bureau.

Nwazi Mnthambala, chief director for public sector reforms in the Office of the Vice-President, said Public Sector Reforms Commission (PSRC) has taken the reforms drive to local authorities in a bid to curb fraud and corruption and improve service delivery at council level.

To ensure compliance to the reforms, Mnthambala said the commission will demand quarterly reports from the councils as a monitoring tool to ensure that the pledges being made in regard to bringing financial sanity in the councils are properly tracked.

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Tt

Mr ambassador! Are you surprised? This is Malawi, people are very polite here in Malawi but when it comes to stealing they are far much better than robin hood! Malawians are hypocrites like a Outwardly wholesome, but rotten inside.

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2 years ago

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His Excellence the Life President Wolemekedzeka Mkango Lion Chivomerezi Chisokonezo Artillery ArchMissile Manthakanjenjemereza

The writer dont mix Anti Corruption Bureau with National Audit Office, The audit looks and checks the abuse of finance(fraud) and ACB looks at paying to get fast services(corruption). So when taking about looting in the Local councils(fraud), the independence of National Audit Office or Auditor General, you are taking of National Audit Office which monitors the budget.

Germany has the right to be concerned. They funded for the development of Luchenza, Kasungu and Mangoch to Municipality status. The Germany Ambassodor of the time was a lady and she took these projects at heart, visiting these places frequently at the time construction.
Today instead of arresting the DCs and their culprits in theft, Nakhumwa is shifting them around.
Audit these rotten Districts Councils: Mchinji, Karonga, Mulanje, Machinga where transfers took place and lock the thieves who failed to complete their projects.